Fitness testing for Sport & Exercise Unit 7 Fitness testing for Sport & Exercise By Aisha Henderson

Thought sport and exercise there are many fitness tests that can be carried out to determine the health status and physical fitness of an individual. The fitness tests are usually a starting point for someone wanting to start out in a physical fitness lifestyle. The tests are carried out to give the trainer an idea of where to start with the individuals work out routines. The tests that are carried out measure all components of fitness such as Flexibility Strength Speed Power Aerobic endurance Muscular endurance Body composition Each test has there own different way of being carried out and they all have there advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages: The test is easy to carry out and can be carried out any where and it doesn’t require a lot of equipment. Flexibility To test flexibility the most common test is the sit and reach test carried out by using a sit and reach box. The sit and reach test is a most commonly used test to measure flexibility in the hamstrings and lower back. The test is a easy test to carry out. Disadvantages: It doesn’t fully test the flexibility of the whole body it only tests certain parts such as the legs and lower back. It can also give taller people a different reading as they have a different length in the legs and trunk so it gives a different score. How to carry out the test. Take shoes off and place feet flat on the box as shown. Make sure the legs are flat on the floor and not bending in any way. Bend and place finger tips on the edge of the box. Push the ruler as far as you can. Get someone to take your reading and repeat another 2 times to get best score. Normative data for sit and reach

Strength Advantages: It doesn’t require much equipment also it is simple to set up and conduct and it can also be conducted anywhere. Disadvantages: special equipment is required and you need someone to help you carry out the test. To test strength there is a device called the grip dynamotor which tests the strength in the lower arms. How to carry out the test. 1)You adjust the bar to where it feels comfortable for your grip. 2) You then set the pointer back to zero before beginning. 3) You then squeeze as hard as you can and release. 4) Your assistant will take your reading for you. When carrying out the test you should always make sure your arm is down by your side and not above your head so you can get the best reading of your strength. The table to the side shows the normative data for the test and when you carry out the test you should get an indication to what your rating is.

Aerobic endurance To test aerobic endurance there is a test called the multistage fitness test which tests the aerobic endurance of the individual. The multistage fitness test is also called the bleep test which is a series of stages where you have to beat the bleep each round gets more and more intense as the speed of the bleep speeds up. Advantages: Simple to conduct and more than one athlete can take part when its being carried out and it can be conducted either indoors and outdoors. Disadvantage: Specialist equipment is needed such as a CD and an CD player you also need a assistant to administer the test. How to carry out the test. To carry out this test it doesn’t take much Measure out the distance e.g 20m and set the cones out. Set up the CD and player and get athletes ready. Start the CD and play until the last athlete drops out. Normative data

Speed Advantages: its an easy test to set up and carry out not a lot of equipment is needed it can also be conducted indoors or outdoors. Disadvantage: you need an assistant to administrate the test. The test for speed is the 40m sprint test this helps test the athletes sprint fatigue rate. How to carry out the test. Let the athlete warm up for ten minuets while you measure and set out. Get the athlete ready and give the assistant the go ahead to start The athlete will then sprint 40m as fast as possible. The stop watch is then stopped when the athlete crosses the line. Let the athlete recover for a few minuets before going again another 2 times. The athletes best score will then be picked and checked against the normative data.

Power Advantages: Advantages of the test are its like many of the other tests it doesn’t require a lot of equipment its easy to set up and it can be conducted almost anywhere. The test can also be administered by the athlete themselves. Disadvantages: There isn’t many disadvantages for this test apart from specialist facilities are required. To test power we use a test called the vertical jump test which is basically an measurement board on the wall. It is a simple test to carry out all you do is keep your feet flat on the floor and reach out with one arm to the highest point they can and the score is taken down this is known as the standing reach height the athlete then gets ready and carry's out the jump and the two scores are calculated against each other to get a final result. How to carry out the test. Athlete stands side on to the wall with both feet remaining on the floor and then reaches up as high as possible and marks the wall with there finger tip. The athlete then from a static position jumps as high as they can and marks the wall again with their finger tips. The assistant will measure from the first mark to the second mark. The athlete will repeat 3 times and all the scores will be analysed for the best one.

Muscular endurance Advantages: The test is a fairly easy test to do it can be carried out almost anywhere it doesn’t need a lot of equipment just a mat and a stop watch. Also the test doesn’t take long to conduct. Disadvantages: you need at least one person to help you if not 3. To test muscular endurance we either do a one minuet sit up test or a one minuet press up test. The one minute sit up test helps test the muscular endurance in the abdominals. It is an easy test to carry out all you have to do is complete 3 sets of 1 minute sit ups and record your best score then check it against the normative data. How to conduct the test. The athlete should warm up for about 5 minutes. The athlete should lay flat backed with their knees bent on the matt where their assistant will hold their feet. The stop watch is then started and the athlete will complete as many sit ups in one minute as they can. The test should be done 3 times and the best score should be marked down.

Body Composition (biometrical impedance analysis) Advantages: it is a good piece of equipment to use and gives you a correct statement at the end. Disadvantages: it is a very expensive piece of equipment to buy and need to be looked after very well. The BIA measures the amount of fat in the body by sending a low and safe electrical current through the body. The current passes through the fluids contained in muscle tissue but encounters difficulty/resistance when it passes through fat tissue. This resistance of the fat tissue to the current is termed 'bioelectrical impedance and is accurately measured by body fat scales. When set against a person's height, gender and weight, the scales can then compute their body fat percentage BIA Scales. The BIA can be either measured by the hand held device of the stand alone one which is better because it can also give you bone density and muscle percentage. How to measure BIA: The athlete takes their shoes and socks off Then they enter their height and weight. The machine then starts to work. The athlete steps off when the machine has finished and takes their reading that is given out.